Meshi: A personal history of Japanese food

by Katherine Tamiko Arguile

For Katherine Tamiko Arguile, the Japanese food her mother cooked was a portal to a part of her that sometimes felt lost in the past. In Japan, food is never just it expresses a complex and fascinating history, and is tied to tradition and spirituality intrinsic to Japanese culture.



Exploring the meals of her childhood through Japan's twenty-four sekki (seasons), Katherine untangles the threads of meaning, memory and ritual woven through every glistening bowl of rice, every tender slice of sashimi and each steaming cup of green tea.


With rich, visceral prose, vivid insight and searing emotional honesty, Meshi ('rice' or 'meal') reveals the culture and spirit of one of the world's most beloved cuisines.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

382 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2022

Reviews

[Mina Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful tribute to family, culture and memories, and I loved the precious, and at times vulnerable anecdotes weaved into each recipe and dish introduced in this book

[Heather Taylor-Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Meshi, Katherine Tamiko Arguile has laid bare her passion for Japanese food and culture through part-memoir, part-essay, part-recipe book. In Arguile’s hands, memory is a refined telling in glorious language, a generosity of snap-shot nostalgia and a richness of indelible senses. This is truly a book where the balance between celebration and loss is measured and felt.

[Julia Winiarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Zuza Sobiczewska · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m fond of the author’s perspective. 3 stars because of the japanese words that are hard to catch up quickly. If somebody wants to fully enjoy the book, I recommend writing down the words :))

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it. Most chefs I know would agree with me.” – Anthony Bourdain.

I would have to agree with Anthony Bourdain and the chefs here. As someone who was born in Japan, even though I am not Japanese, I continue to have a love for Japanese food, and have developed a passion for what food represents for them. Through transforming nature into culture, Japanese food represents more than the mundane ‘facts of life’ but a sense of cultural tradition and identity. Each section of the memoir represents 24 Japanese ‘sekki’ or seasons, as Japanese food culture emphasises the use of ingredients that are in season. This compares greatly to a globalised food system that delivers products, without much regard for the month of the year.

I loved this book because the author explores her connection to two worlds: her paternal British heritage and her maternal Japanese heritage. She describes the complexity of growing up as mixed heritage, as she exists between ‘two worlds.’ The structure of her memoir comprises of anecdotes and food memories from each side of her family, interspersed with recipes, mostly from the dishes her Japanese mother made for her as a child.

These recipes include, Shiojake (salt cured salmon), Okonomiyaki (Japanese style pancake) and Kabocha no nimono (simmered Japanese pumpkin). I’m inspired to make these dishes for myself now.

As the author concludes, despite the loss and grief of her Japanese relatives, and moving to South Australia to live, there is one constant that remains and sustains her connection to her Japanese heritage: that is her rice, her meshi.

[Jade O'Donohue · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Tiny fairy wrens of startling blue, a gathering of raucous peach-breasted galahs and two huge pelicans flying slow and low over my head like aircraft carriers one afternoon with a loud swoosh, swoosh remind me I'm in Australia. Swallows flash past at impossible speeds with their rose-blush breasts, blue-sheen feathers and go-faster tails, zigzagging low to catch insects that flit up from the mounds of sea grass. Their arrival is a sign of coming spring here, too. The swallow is one of sixty-six bird species listed in the Japan-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement, a treaty that ensures their safe migration between the two countries. I marvel at how such small birds are able to fly enormous distances to touch the shores of countries where I’ve left parts of myself behind.”

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deftly dances between the personal and cultural - being part memoir, part detailed account of Japanese seasons and the food that accompanies them. Each chapter follows the 72 Japanese seasons, sprinkled with recipes to accompany the storytelling. Food is the underlying current that ties the book together, threading themes of belonging, family, love and loss. Ultimately, this is a beautiful portrait of a mother and daughter relationship.

[Chils27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

现居澳洲、英国爸爸和日本妈妈的混血儿，视觉非常独特也非常personal，说的不仅仅是关于美食的记忆，而是作者作为混血儿的经历和感受。感觉作者还是跟日本妈妈亲一点，爸爸没有太多的存在感。

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely devoured this book. Gorgeous writing - a perfect balance of personal and cultural history, with delightful artwork and delicious recipes thrown in.

[Kate Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir of ritual, memory and meaning from a life lived between Japan, England and Australia. Delicious.

[Tobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5